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It seems that, many years ago, an Admiral of the 

 Red was superseded on the Jamaica station by an 

 Admiral of the Blue ; and both of them gave balls 

 at Kingston to the " Brown Girls ;" for the fair sex 

 elsewhere are called the " Brown Girls" in Jamaica. 

 In consequence of these balls, all Kingston was di- 

 vided into parties : from thence the division spread 

 into other districts : and ever since, the whole 

 island, at Christmas, is separated into the rival 

 factions of the Blues and the Reds (the Red re- 

 presenting also the English, the Blue the Scotch), 

 who contend for setting forth their processions 

 with the greatest taste and magnificence. This 

 year, several gentlemen in the neighbourhood of 

 Black River had subscribed very largely towards 

 the expenses of the show; and certainly it produced 

 the gayest and most amusing scene that I ever 

 witnessed, to which the mutual jealousy and pique 

 of the two parties against each other contributed 

 in no slight degree. The champions of the rival 

 Roses, — the Guelphs and the Ghibellines, — none of 

 them could exceed the scornful animosity and spirit 

 of depreciation with which the Blues and the Reds 

 of Black River examined the efforts at display of 

 each other. The Blues had the advantage beyond 

 a doubt ; this a Red girl told us that she could not 

 deny j but still, " though the Reds were beaten, 

 she would not be a Blue girl for the whole uni- 

 verse ! " On the other hand, Miss Edwards (the 

 mistress of the hotel from whose window we saw 



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